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Synchrono[CITY]

Part 2 Project 2013Emily KingMark TurnerManchester School of Architecture, UKSynchrono[CITY] aims to encourage cities to capitalise on all resources created as a result of de-industrialisation. Decay of a settlement is considered to be a positive process, which is necessary for growth. The new town twinning concept allows surplus knowledge generated by a single settlement to be shared with a twin town suffering as a result of deindustrialisation. This information will enable towns to learn how to use all of their available resources to capitalise and grow.

Stockport has suffered as a result of the fall of the textile industry creating disused buildings and sites, a redundant skilled worked and knowledge of a failed industry. The investigation identified a series of sites experiencing decay to varying extents. The in-active sites situated on the periphery of active zones were selected for potential intervention enabling Stockport to capitalise on its resources of decay. The first intervention would be a factory which would utilise a decay site, provide jobs in the manufacturing sector for a redundant, skilled workforce, and generate knowledge to be shared with a twin town. The factory would be responsible for manufacturing a kit of building parts to be used to erect required building interventions.

The prefabricated building system was developed to allow for adaptability, flexibility and temporality. This was due to the temporal nature of decay sites. It would allow for interventions to be implemented, re-configured and removed when it is no longer needed by the town. The system would be used to erect the factory to enable flexibility for future expansion or contraction depending on the demand for building elements.

The proposal includes a research and development facility and a manufacturing plant which work collaborative to design, manufacture and implement interventions. The Research for Urban Response Units (RURU) is responsible for selecting and designing the appropriated Urban Response Unit (URU) for a specific site. This information would then be communicated to the Factory for Urban Response Units (FURU) to manufacture the necessary parts for the erection of the proposal. Knowledge generated from successful building intervention will be collated by RURU and shared with a sister settlement.Emily KingMark TurnerTutor(s)